Baker played R2-D2 in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," as well as the three "Star Wars" prequels from 1999 to 2005.

The actor told CNN in 1999 that he didn't think the original "Star Wars" film would take off.

"We all thought, 'What a load of rubbish. This is going to be a non-event,'" he said. "How wrong we were."

And wobbling around in a metal costume -- which was heavier than he was -- in the 100-plus degree heat of Tunisia wasn't easy, according to Baker.

"The thing weighed about 80 pounds," he said. "I weighed 70 pounds."

Baker also appeared in a number of other films in the 1980s, including "The Elephant Man," "Time Bandits" and "Flash Gordon."

Born in Birmingham, England, on August 24, 1934, Baker was 16 when he started performing with Burton Lester's Midgets, according to his website.

Baker also was a nightclub performer with the late British actor Jack Purvis, who appeared in "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope," "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back," and "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi."

Baker credited The Shaftesbury Society, a London Christian group that cares for children with disabilities, with helping him "overcome my height difficulties," according to his site.

He was married to actress Eileen Baker, who died in 1993. They had two children.